Coffee or tea has become the drink of choice for many individuals throughout the world. The popularity of coffee and tea continues to grow with no end in sight. As a result, many coffee and tea drinkers are seeking ways to improve the flavor and quality of the brewed beverage. Additionally, many coffee and tea drinkers enjoy activities such as backpacking, bicycle touring, foreign travel, and other activities which prohibit conventional brewing techniques.
Many coffee maker and teapot designs have been put on the market over the years, with varying amounts of success. However, no one produces an individual coffee or tea maker that is easy to use, convenient, small, lightweight, and durable enough to be used under any conditions. As an example, what can a backpacker in the mountains do if she desires a good cup of coffee or tea? She could use instant coffee, however, that is simply not an acceptable alternative to many coffee drinkers. Alternatively, she could carry a coffee pot in her backpack, but camp coffee pots are heavy and take a large amount of time and effort to use. A filter cone would inconvenience the user by requiring her to carry paper filters in addition to the ground coffee.
One popular method of making coffee or tea is to use a French coffee press. This type of coffee maker consists of a glass decanter having a cap with a coffee press slidably mounted within the cap. Ground coffee or tea leaves are placed within the decanter and hot water is added to the decanter. The coffee or tea and hot water are allowed to steep until the proper flavor is imparted to the beverage, according to the user's preference. A coffee press of the prior art includes a filter that closely fits the interior of the decanter. The press is pushed down through the hot liquid, collecting the used coffee grounds or tea leaves beneath the filter. When the filter reaches the bottom of the decanter, it traps the used coffee grounds or tea leaves between the filter and the bottom of the decanter. The resulting coffee or tea is poured out of the decanter into a mug for consumption.
French coffee presses produce high-quality coffee or tea, however, they suffer disadvantages making them inconvenient for many users: for example, in addition to the coffee press unit, the user must carry an additional mug from which to drink the beverage. Additionally, many users find that permitting the coffee grounds or used tea leaves to remain in the pot after brewing causes an unpleasant or bitter taste in the brewed beverage. Further, the coffee cools off quickly in a glass decanter, and for travel, the glass is a deterrent due to the risk of breakage.
It would be beneficial if a lightweight, easy-to-use, durable coffee or tea maker that reduced or eliminated some of the disadvantages of prior art coffee or tea makers was available.